Traditional Owners

Our region, from the Carnarvon Ranges in the south, the Great Dividing Range in the southwest and west, to the floodplain of the Belyando in the north, and the rich soils of the Peak Downs in the east, has been the traditional lands of several groups of Indigenous People for tens of thousands of years.
Some information on the traditional lands of some of these groups can be found below:

Wangan Jagalingou people

The Wangan Jagalingou People are the Traditional Owners of much of the Belyando catchment. Their claim, lodged with the Native Title Tribunal in 2004, describes an area of the Belyando catchment north to about Moray Downs, Elgin Downs and Diamond Downs and as far south as Mount Beaufort. It also takes in the Wolfang, Huntly, and Douglas Creek catchments of Theresa Creek. Click on the link below to see the map of the Wangan Jagalingou People’s claim.

Jangga people

The traditional lands of the Jangga People lie in the north of the Belyando catchment and in the Suttor catchment, including around the township of Mt Coolon. Their claim has been determined.Register of Native Title determination

Bidjara people

The traditional lands of the Bidjara People lie in southwest Queensland and across the southern section of the Belyando catchment above Sedgeford Station.

Kangalou People

The traditional lands of the Kangoulu People lie in the Theresa Creek, Nogoa River, and the Comet River catchments of our region, and as with other groups, their lands extend the Central Highlands as well.

Kairi People

Traditional lands of the Kairi people are in the upper Nogoa and upper Comet catchments. Their lands encompass parts of the Carnarvon Ranges primarily in the area now known as the Ka Ka Mundi and Salvator Rosa sections of the Carnarvon National Park. Neighbouring groups include Karingbal, Kangalou, and Bidjara.

About CHRRUP

Since 2001, the Central Highlands Regional Resources Use Planning Cooperative Limited (CHRRUP) has worked to improve natural resource use and management in the four catchments of the Central Highlands.